Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 13 October (HLWS503), what plans they have to produce a revised plan for the remainder of HS2 encompassing (1) a revised estimated total cost, (2) revised estimated passenger demand reflecting changes in travel behaviour due to COVID-19, (3) a revised design for Euston Station reflecting maximum number of trains per hour, (4) an option for the permanent termination of HS2 at Old Oak Common, and (5) a revised cost-benefit analysis.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Full Business Case for Phase One was approved in April this year and included a robust cost-benefit analysis using the latest cost and schedule estimates. The Government has also committed to keeping Parliament regularly updated on HS2 delivery against those cost and schedule estimates, and the first Parliamentary Report published in October provides the latest figures. The Department is working with colleagues across Government to understand and assess the pandemic’s impact on transport demand and on the wider economy, and how this will affect existing and future business cases for transport infrastructure investment. In response to the Oakervee Review conclusions, the Department for Transport has commissioned a study looking into the design and construction efficiency of the future Euston station as a whole. A further update on the outcomes of this work will be reported in the next HS2 Parliamentary Report. There are no current plans to permanently terminate HS2 services at Old Oak Common. HS2 Ltd’s latest advice indicates that no more than 6 trains per hour can reliably be operated from Old Oak Common as a temporary terminus, whilst Euston is being completed, under the current Old Oak Common station design.

Tolls: Greater London

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Transport for London about ensuring that residents in London receive a discount on the charge for driving within the congestion charging zone.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As part of the recent funding package provided to TfL, the Mayor agreed to maintain the current temporary changes to the daily charge, operating hours and days of the Congestion Charge as a continuing response to the coronavirus pandemic and ensure that London’s recovery is not restricted by traffic and congestion. Transport in London is devolved and is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and TfL, including any policy on resident discounts for the congestion charge.

Electric Scooters: Pilot Schemes

Lord Moylan: To ask Her Majesty's Government which firms have been selected to run electric scooter trials in areas where trials are being undertaken.

Lord Moylan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that electric scooter trials test a range of (1) models, (2) providers, and (3) local circumstances.

Lord Moylan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of firms that would need to be involved in electric scooter trials for an evidence based policy decision to be made.

Lord Moylan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that firms providing electric scooters under the current trials can meet their undertakings; and what requirements must local and combined authorities operating such trials meet.

Lord Moylan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any firms that were successful in bidding to run an electric scooter trial are, as part of the contractual arrangement, providing additional infrastructure or other benefits.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: 11 different companies are operating across the live trial areas. These are: Ginger, Spin, Lime, Beryl, Tier, Zwings, Voi, Bird, Neuron, Zipp, and Wind. Many of these companies have their own model of scooter which meets the minimum requirements set by the Department. Trials include both short- and long-term rental. The range of trial areas provide a diverse range of local environments in which to assess e-scooter use. The key areas we are seeking evidence of are the safety of e-scooters, what mode shift they cause, and what impacts they have on other road users. There is no minimum number of operators who need to participate in trials to assess this, but we will additionally seek to learn and share lessons on how different e-scooter providers operate. The local authorities hosting the trials have selected the operators they wish to work with. They have undertaken their own procurement processes, ensuring that the operators meet both the Department’s and their own requirements for the trial. We have set out these requirements in our guidance for local authorities and have only approved trials where these are met. The requirements include that the operator has geofencing and driving licence checks in place, that local areas have engaged with local police and disability groups, and that data generated will be shared with the Department. Many of the operators are going beyond these minimum requirements, including providing free helmets to users and offering online or in-person training to use the scooters.

Aviation: Cyprus

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the lack ofdirect flights from the UK to Ercan International Airport, and (2) the reasons why there are no such flights; and what discussions they have had with airline operators about how long it is intended to divert such flights via Turkey.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In accordance with the rest of the international community, the UK does not recognise the self-declared ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ as an independent state. Additionally, direct flights to and from the UK and the northern part of Cyprus would breach the UK’s international obligation under the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation. As a result, it would be illegal, as a matter of domestic law, for the UK Government to support direct flights to the northern part of Cyprus.

Aircraft: Standards

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reach an agreement with the EU on aircraft certification standards.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The UK has now entered a period of intensive negotiations with the EU. We approach this intensified process with a determination to get a deal, which respects our status as an independent sovereign state and allows us to control our own laws. We are seeking to agree arrangements on aviation safety with the EU. This will facilitate the recognition of aviation safety standards, maintain high safety outcomes and enable continued regulatory cooperation between the UK and EU.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Lord Stevenson of Balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) feasibility, and (2) benefits, of promoting the use of digital identification in retail and hospitality settings to help address the spread of COVID-19.

Lord Bethell: Having a more open economy is reliant on having measures in place to minimise transmission of the virus and keep the public safe. Where someone who has visited a venue in the hospitality sector or other designated sectors tests positive, NHS Test and Trace or local public health officials may request the records maintained by that venue of staff, customers and visitors. This will help them to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus and provide the necessary public health advice. Since 18 September 2020, the Test and Trace strategy has included mandatory requirements for designated venues, including displaying an official National Health Service QR code poster from 24 September, so that customers and visitors can ‘check in’ using the NHS COVID-19 app as an alternative to providing their contact details.

Contact Tracing: Sheffield City Council

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they have allocated to Sheffield City Council to support the local NHS Test and Trace scheme.

Lord Bethell: Sheffield City Council received £3,101,989.00 under the £300 million allocated to local authorities to develop and implement action plans, tailored outbreak control plans and working with local National Health Service and other stakeholders to reduce the spread of coronavirus in their area. Following the additional £465 million that was made available by the Government to support all local authorities, they have this week been sent a further £4,678,824.00 to support them as they moved into local Covid alert level 3. This money will clear with Sheffield in the next three to five working days.

Influenza: Vaccination

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the level of demand for flu jabs, and (2) reports that pharmacies and GPs have not had sufficient stock to meet demand; and what steps they are taking to ensure that pharmacies and GPs are supplied with enough vaccines to meet community need.

Lord Bethell: Overall, there are sufficient vaccine for up to 30 million people to be vaccinated in England this winter. We have seen huge early demand for vaccinations and latest figures show that uptake is higher for all cohorts compared to last year.General practitioners, community pharmacies, and trusts are directly responsible for ordering flu vaccine from suppliers which are used to deliver the national flu programme to adults, with deliveries phased through the season.

Urology: Health Education

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been their involvementin Urology Awareness Month 2020; and what steps they are taking to raise awareness around urological health and diseases.

Lord Bethell: The Department recognises that The Urology Foundation has designated September 2020 as Urology Awareness Month.To raise awareness of urological health and diseases, National Health Service trusts and commissioners are sharing patient stories and carrying out social media activity and webinars.NHS England and NHS Improvement have established the National Bladder and Bowel Health Project to improve continence care across the whole public health and care system. It has also published ‘Excellence in Continence Care’ a practical guide for leaders and commissioners. This guidance is currently being updated and a revised version will be published in due course.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 26 October (HL8435), why the need to act with “extreme urgency” did not lead them to award a personal protective equipment (PPE) contract directly to the Chinese PPE manufacturers instead of to a company with no experience of an import on this scale, substantial losses in its most recently reported accounts, and significant net monetary liabilities at the time of the contract award.

Lord Bethell: The Government issued a public call to action to support the increased requirements of personal protective equipment (PPE). The aim was to reach these suppliers ie who had experience of supplying PPE and also those who had no prior experience but who had access to sources of PPE through their business contacts. This has resulted in 15,000 suppliers offering their help and support. All offers were prioritised based on volume, price, clinical acceptability and lead time – this is the time from an offer being accepted by the Department to the supplier delivering those items. These were often established private businesses whose net asset position is only one factor in evaluating their offer.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) JCVI: updated interim advice on priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination, published on 25 September, how theJCVI will define which underlying health conditions present the greatest risk of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19; and what evidence it will take into account.

Lord Bethell: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), and the JCVI sub-committee on COVID-19 are currently reviewing evidence on clinical risk factors associated with serious disease and mortality from COVID-19. Following a review of the evidence the Committee will develop advice on risk groups for any future COVID-19 vaccination programme. The evidence the JCVI will consider include data from Public Health England, OpenSAFELY and QCOVID.The minutes of the JCVI committee meetings and statements on COVID-19 vaccination are published online.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they used the services of ADM Group to procure personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic; if so, (1) what equipment they purchased, and (2) how much that equipment cost; and whether any such equipment was procured by that company fromHubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co., Ltd.

Lord Bethell: The Department holds no contract with ADM Group for the supply of personal protective equipment.

Health Professions: Pay

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to bring forward pay reviews for those nurses and other medical staff who were not included in the pay award for some public sector workers from 2021 to the end of this year.

Lord Bethell: Pay in 2020/21 for Agenda for Change staff and doctors and dentists in training had already been determined due to existing multi-year deals agreed in partnership with the National Health Service trades unions.We will to ask the independent NHS Pay Review Body for recommendations on pay for Agenda for Change staff including nurses for 2021/22, and the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration for pay recommendations for medical and dental staff not already within a multi-year deal.As per the established process, the Government will begin the pay round with a remit letter to the Pay Review Bodies, which we expect to issue in the coming weeks. We then expect both Pay Review Bodies to report to Government in the coming spring and as ever, the Government will carefully consider the Review Bodies’ recommendations, taking into account value for the taxpayer and affordability whilst also ensuring we can recruit, retain and motivate the dedicated and compassionate staff the NHS needs.

NHS: Labour Turnover

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the turnover rate of NHS medical staff; and what steps they are taking in response.

Lord Bethell: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics, including information on staff turnover. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other providers.The following table shows the annual numbers and rates of leavers for doctors, including staff who left the National Health Service. Leavers data includes people leaving active service temporarily, this would include those going on maternity leave or career break. HCHS Doctors (excluding junior doctors) LeaversLeaver RateStability IndexJune 2010 to June 20114,4158.3%91.6%June 2011 to June 20124,6308.6%91.4%June 2012 to June 20134,7208.7%91.3%June 2013 to June 20144,1897.6%92.3%June 2014 to June 20154,1297.3%92.6%June 2015 to June 20164,3137.4%92.5%June 2016 to June 20174,2427.1%92.8%June 2017 to June 20184,4317.2%92.7%June 2018 to June 20194,2636.7%93.2%June 2019 to June 20204,2726.5%93.4%Source: NHS Digital Workforce Statistics – Annual HCHS doctor leavers from the staff group, in NHS trusts and CCGs in England, June to June each year, 2010 to 2020, headcount and rates.The retention rate has increased from 91.6% to 93.4% between June 2010 and June 2020.We are nonetheless taking action to improve the experience of doctors and further increase retention. For example, the Enhancing Junior Doctors’ Working Lives programme, led by Health Education England, is delivering a range of initiatives to improve the quality of life of doctors in training.

Contraceptives

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they recommend that a client has a consultation with a clinician prior to the purchase of emergency contraception.

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pharmacies in England are unable to provide emergency contraception in (1) a confidential, and (2) a COVID-19 secure, way.

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of confidentiality in pharmacies for women whorequest emergency contraception.

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, what plans they have to reclassify emergency hormonal contraception as a general sales list medication.

Lord Bethell: It is a legal requirement that pharmacy (P) medicines, which include emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) products, can only be sold or supplied, or offered for sale or supply, from a registered pharmacy. The sale or supply must be undertaken by, or under the supervision of, a pharmacist. Information on the number of pharmacies in England that are unable to provide EHC in a confidential and a COVID-19 secure way is not collected centrally.No assessment has been made centrally of the level of confidentiality in pharmacies for women who request EHC. However, most pharmacies now have a private consultation room where discussions with pharmacy staff can take place without being overheard. The Government has no specific plans to reclassify emergency contraceptive pills as a general sales list medication. Emergency contraceptive pills are currently available without prescription from pharmacies. Any applications to make them available on general sale from other retail outlets would be considered in accordance with the Government’s usual procedures by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Department for Education

Education: Disadvantaged

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking toclose the educational attainment gap between wealthy anddeprived areas.

Baroness Berridge: The government established the Opportunity Areas programme in 2017 to focus resources on transforming the life chances of children and young people in 12 areas of the country with low social mobility. We are investing £90 million to tackle regional inequality, convene resources, test new approaches and unlock barriers in those geographic areas where educational challenges are greatest.Nationally, the department’s pupil premium grant provides additional funding to schools based on the number of disadvantaged pupils on roll. We have invested more than £18 billion since 2011, and another £2.4 billion this year, to enable schools to arrange extra support for their pupils. This is accelerating their progress and narrowing the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. The attainment gap index shows the attainment gap has narrowed by 9% at age 16 and 13% at age 11 since 2011. We established the Education Endowment Foundation with £137 million to research and promote the most effective ways of using pupil premium, so that all schools can make a difference to their disadvantaged pupils’ futures. Schools should consult their pupil premium guide when arranging support for their pupils.We are aware that all pupils, irrespective of where they live, have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.The £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package will give additional funding to schools to support pupils whose education has been negatively affected by the outbreak. As part of this package, the National Tutoring Programme will target £350 million to boost the progress of disadvantaged pupils through providing access to subsidised tuition supplied by approved tuition partners. Schools in the most deprived areas will also be supported to use in-house academic mentors to provide intensive catch-up support to their pupils in small groups. This sits alongside our £650 million universal catch-up premium, which will enable schools to prioritise support for pupils in line with their levels of need. The Education Endowment Foundation has published guidance to help schools make the most of this catch-up funding, which is available here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/national-tutoring-programme/covid-19-support-guide-for-schools/#nav-covid-19-support-guide-for-schools1.

National Tutoring Programme

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many National Tutoring Programme Academic Mentors they estimatewillbe working in schools from2 November.

Baroness Berridge: The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) is an ambitious scheme that will provide additional, targeted support for those children and young people who need the most help to catch-up. The NTP will spend up to £350 million to provide targeted support for children who have been hardest hit from disruption to their education as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The NTP for 5-16 year olds will increase access to high-quality tuition for pupils this academic year. The programme has two pillars:1) Approved Tuition Partners will offer high quality, subsidised tuition to schools.2) Schools in the most disadvantaged areas will be supported to employ in-house Academic Mentors to provide tuition to their pupils.Further information on both pillars can be found here: https://nationaltutoring.org.uk/faqs.NTP Academic Mentors will be employed in schools to provide intensive and frequent support for those pupils who need it most. Academic Mentors will provide support tailored to their school, but most Academic Mentors will support subject-specific work (both one-to-one and in small-groups), revision lessons, and provide additional support for those shielding or not in school. Academic Mentors will be a part of their school’s staff team, supporting and managing them to deliver mentoring that is linked to the curriculum.We expect the first cohort of tutors to be supporting schools from November, and we will be able to provide final numbers placed for this initial wave in due course. We plan to increase provision through the remainder of the autumn term and into the spring term.

Apprentices: Ethnic Groups

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase BAME representation on apprenticeship schemes.

Baroness Berridge: Apprenticeships benefit people of all ages and backgrounds and we want to ensure that more people from underrepresented backgrounds can undertake them, particularly those that offer higher wage returns and progression opportunities. We are pleased to have seen positive outcomes in the representation of black and minority ethnic (BAME) people in apprenticeships, with a particular increase in higher-level apprenticeship starts.We have worked with some of the country’s most influential employers through our Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network to promote best practice in recruiting and supporting apprentices from diverse backgrounds. We are building on this work to ensure that we continue to see improved representation of BAME people starting apprenticeships, especially in sectors that carry historic under-representation. We will work closely with these sectors to understand why this is the case, and to co-develop targeted solutions. We will also be working extensively with employers, with a particular focus on small and medium enterprises, to understand what barriers they face in taking on apprentices and how they can improve the diversity profile of their apprentices.

Teachers: Males

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of male teachers; and what plans they have to encourage men to enter the teaching profession.

Baroness Berridge: As of November 2019, there were over 117,000 full time equivalent male teachers in the state funded sector.One of our top priorities is to ensure that we continue to attract the high-quality teachers we need, regardless of their gender. We have announced plans for salaries for new teachers to rise to £30,000 by academic year 2022/23. This will make starting salaries significantly more competitive in the graduate labour market.In addition, we are continuing to offer bursaries, worth up to £24,000, to encourage graduates to train to teach high priority subjects, such as chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics. Candidates with (or expecting) a 2:2 or above, in all subjects, can also access free one-to-one support throughout their journey into teaching from our Teacher Training Advisers.Our ‘Teaching – Every Lesson Shapes A Life’ recruitment campaign is targeted at audiences of students, recent graduates and potential career changers inclusive of all genders, and the department takes every effort to ensure that our advertising is fully reflective of this across the full range of marketing materials we use.We are also working to increase the diversity of the existing teaching workforce. That is why, in October 2018, we published our Statement of Intent, setting out our commitment to increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce alongside ten key sector co-signatories who also pledged supporting activity.

Sex and Relationship Education

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the intended educational outcomes for the pupils of the sexual aspects to be included in relationships education in primary schools; whether parents have the right to withdraw their children from any such classes; and what discretion head teachers have about permitting the teaching of relationships education.

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there is any increased risk of primary school-aged children being targeted for child abuse as the outcome of discussions outside of the classroom about sexual behaviour arising from relationship education being taught in primary schools.

Baroness Berridge: We want to support all young people to be happy, healthy and safe. That is why we made Relationships Education compulsory for primary school pupils, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for secondary school pupils, and Health Education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools.There is no requirement for primary schools to cover sex education. If a primary school chooses to teach sex education, it must be covered in the school’s RSE policy. Schools are required to consult parents on a draft of their policy. The statutory guidance states that when schools consult with parents on their policy, they should also ensure that they provide examples of the resources that they plan to use in teaching the new subjects as this can be reassuring for parents and enables them to continue the conversations started in class at home. This will also reassure parents that the resources schools choose to use are age appropriate and do not contain oversexualised content.The department remains committed to supporting all schools in their preparations to deliver the content of these subjects. On 24 September 2020 the department published the ‘Plan your relationships, sex and health curriculum’ implementation guidance to support schools to choose appropriate resources. Training resources were also published alongside the guidance and will equip all schools to provide comprehensive teaching in these areas in an age-appropriate way. These materials should give schools the confidence to construct a curriculum that reflects diversity of views and backgrounds, whilst fostering all pupils’ respect for others, understanding of healthy relationships, and ability to look after their own safety and wellbeing. This guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health.In primary schools, age-appropriate relationships education will involve supporting children to learn about what healthy relationships are and their importance, as well as how to develop mutually respectful relationships in all contexts, including online. This will then provide a foundation for RSE at secondary school. Children will also be taught the importance of permission-seeking and giving in relationships with friends, peers and adults, as the building blocks for consent in secondary school.Where sex education is covered in primary schools, parents have an automatic right to withdraw their child from this part of the curriculum, although not from any sex education in the science curriculum. Head teachers must comply with these requests from parents.The findings of the impact assessment published in January 2019 refer to the importance of teaching children and young people about healthy relationships as an element in the approach to contributing to reducing child sexual exploitation. These findings can be viewed at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/924/impacts.

Financial Services: Primary Education

Lord Knight of Weymouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ideal age range to begin financial education in schools; and what plans they have to support the delivery of financial education to primary children.

Lord Knight of Weymouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made of the importance of financial education at primary level in the light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on household finances; and what plans they have to provide additional support to schoolsto offer high-quality financial education.

Lord Knight of Weymouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to integrate financial education and money management skills more widely into the national primary curriculum.

Baroness Berridge: Education on financial matters helps to ensure that young people are prepared to manage their money well, make sound financial decisions and know where to seek further information when needed. In 2014, for the first time, financial literacy was made statutory within the national curriculum as part of the citizenship curriculum for 11 to 16 year olds.We also introduced a rigorous mathematics curriculum, which provides young people with the knowledge and mathematical skills to make important financial decisions. The government has published statutory programmes of study for mathematics and citizenship that outline what pupils should learn about financial education from key stages one to four.In the primary mathematics curriculum, there is a strong emphasis on essential arithmetic. This is vital, as a strong understanding of numeracy and numbers will underpin pupils’ ability to manage budgets and money, including, for example, percentages. There is also some specific content about financial education such as calculations with money.We trust schools to use their professional judgement and understanding of their pupils to develop the right teaching approach for their particular school, drawing on the expertise of subject associations and organisations such as Young Money.Schools should have resumed teaching an ambitious and broad curriculum in all subjects from the start of the autumn term. This means that all pupils will be taught a wide range of subjects so they can maintain their choices for further study and employment. Our latest guidance on teaching to support children is set out here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.Our £1 billion COVID-19 “catch-up” package with £650 million shared across schools over the 2020/21 academic year will support schools to put the right catch-up support in place. Details of the catch up package can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/billion-pound-covid-catch-up-plan-to-tackle-impact-of-lost-teaching-time.The Education Endowment Foundation have published a COVID-19 support guide to support schools to direct this funding. This is available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/national-tutoring-programme/covid-19-support-guide-for-schools/#closeSignup.For the longer term, the department will continue to work closely with The Money and Pension Service and Her Majesty's Treasury, to consider how to provide further support for the teaching of financial education in schools.

Schools: Computers

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to providelaptopstoschools in deprived areas.

Baroness Berridge: The government wants to do everything it can to support schools to deliver remote education. The department has invested over £195 million to support remote education and access to online social care, delivering over 220,000 laptops and tablets during the summer term for disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have access to a digital device.The department is adding to this support by making over 340,000 additional laptops and tablets available to support disadvantaged children that might face disruption to their education. Since September, over 100,000 of these have been delivered to schools.This scheme is intended to enable schools to support disadvantaged children in years 3 to 11 who cannot afford their own laptops and tablets. Schools will also be able to order laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children across all year groups who are shielding as a result of official or medical advice, all year groups who attend hospital schools and those completing their key stage 4 at a further education college.

Universities: Finance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sustainability of the current university funding model.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: We have a progressive student finance system which delivers a fair balance of costs between graduates and taxpayers, while ensuring going to university is affordable for all who choose to do so. The government subsidises around 50% of the cost of higher education. This level of subsidy is an important and conscious investment in the long-term skills of the nation and ensures access to university for all with the potential to benefit from it.An independent panel, chaired by Philip Augar, undertook a review of post-18 education and funding at the behest of the government in 2018–19. This included an extensive programme of engagement and a call for evidence.The government is carefully examining the Augar Report and its recommendations as part of the wider Post-18 Education Review. We are considering a response alongside the Spending Review, with a view to providing certainty to providers and students.

Universities: Staff

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies Ethnic diversity in UK economics, published on 26 October; and whatdiscussions they have had with universities about the diversity of academic staff.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies makes an interesting contribution to understanding ethnic diversity in the academic discipline of economics. We welcome the findings which show ethnic diversity among academic economists and economics students is increasing over time. We also note that economics as a discipline faces similar issues to the higher education sector more widely.Universities are independent institutions and are responsible for their own decisions on employment issues. We expect universities, like all employers, to give due consideration to their obligations under the Equality Act (2010) and the way their employment practices affect different people at different stages of their careers.

Young People: Unemployment

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many(1) 16, and (2) 17, year olds are not in education, employment or training.

Baroness Berridge: At the end of 2019 (latest figures available), the number of 16 and 17 year olds not in education, employment or training in England was (1) 23,500, at age 16 (representing 3.8% of all 16 year olds) and (2) 28,000, at age 17 (representing 4.7% of all 17 year olds).

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Gender Recognition

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 27 October (HL9110 and HL9111), how many transgender prisoners who have obtained a gender recognition certificate there are in each women’s prison; how many of those were sentenced to that prison term because of an assault against a woman; and what risk assessment they have carried out of the potential impact of those prisoners being held in women’s prison units.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: We are committed to ensuring that transgender individuals are treated fairly, lawfully and decently, with their rights and safety properly respected. Regardless of where a transgender individual is being held, we expect that they will be respected and addressed in the gender with which they identify.Data is not held on the number of prisoners with Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs) within the prison estate. There is no legal obligation for an individual with a GRC to disclose this as, under the Gender Recognition Act 2004, once an individual obtains a GRC, their acquired gender becomes legally recognised and they are entitled to the rights appropriate to anyone else of that gender.Where it is known that an individual is transgender, a Local Case Board is held, as per our ‘Care and Management of Individuals who are Transgender’ policy framework, to consider what support should be provided and to consider any risks posed to, or from, the individual. Cases can then be referred to a centrally managed Complex Case Board (CCB), chaired by a senior prison manager, where the referral criteria are met. However, thorough and appropriate assessment of risk is of paramount importance for all those in our care, regardless of an individual’s gender or any protected characteristic they may or may not have.Further information on the policy framework, the CCB referral criteria and the risk factors considered by CCBs can be found on the following link:- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-care-and-management-of-individuals-who-are-transgender.

Prisoners: Children

Lord Farmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to update the study by the Home Office Research DirectorateImprisoned Women and Mothers, published in 1997; and what assessment they have made of the finding in that report that only five per cent of female offenders’ children remain in the family home while their mother is in prison.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Although responsibility for the children of offenders sits with the Secretary of State for Education, we are actively committed to joined-up working across Government and, in our Female Offender Strategy 2018, encouraged a partnership-focused approach to addressing the needs of both imprisoned mothers and children affected by maternal imprisonment.The Female Offender Strategy, published in June 2018, sets out our commitment to improving outcomes for women at all stages of the justice system, and this includes supporting those who have children. We know that female prisoners are more likely than male prisoners to be a primary carer and imprisoned mothers are more likely to be living with their children prior to custody – around 60% of women compared with about 45% of men in prison who have children.We recognise that maternal imprisonment can have particularly detrimental impact on family life, and that children whose mothers are in prison are a vulnerable group and may need additional help to address both the short and long-term impacts that maternal imprisonment can have.We have accepted the recommendations made in your secondary report on women, which demonstrated that supporting women to build and maintain health family ties is one of the many important factors to successful rehabilitation. We are making good progress with implementation of the Review and where needed we are working across Government to deliver the recommendations to their best effect. Going forward, we acknowledge the need for improved collection and transparency of data on primary carers in prison and their dependents in the community.At the moment, information on a prisoner’s caring responsibilities and children living in the community is monitored locally by prison Governors/Directors to ensure the appropriate support can be provided to women and their families. On reception into custody, all prisoners are asked if they have any children living at home and what their ages are. Currently, this information is not captured in a way that can be centrally monitored, and we know that there are challenges around parents being reluctant to disclose this information due to fear of involvement from social services. However, we are considering how to monitor and publish this information.

Prisoners: Children

Lord Farmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children who were living with people now in prison, are currently living with the prisoners' partners.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The information requested is not held centrally and could not be collated without incurring disproportionate cost as individual records would need to be analysed.

Prisoners' Transfers: Northern Ireland

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many offenders were transferred from prisons in England and Wales to prisons in Northern Ireland in (1) 2019, and (2) 2020 to date.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Eight offenders were transferred from prisons in England and Wales to prisons in Northern Ireland in 2019. There have been no such transfers in 2020 as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.

Counterfeit Manufacturing: Drugs

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many convictions for the sale or distribution of counterfeit pharmaceutical products there were in each of the last four years.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on prosecutions and convictions by detailed offence and figures relating to the offence “Sell or supply adulterated medicinal products or falsifying medical products” can be found in the Principal offence proceedings and outcomes by Home Office offence code data tool available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/888344/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2019.xlsx The data tool can be filtered by ‘Detailed offence’, for the above offence. Filter to the following: “Sell or supply adulterated medicinal products or falsifying medical products (triable either way offences)” In 2016 there were 4 convictions for the offence of selling or supplying adulterated medicinal products or falsifying medical products. In 2017 and 2018 there were 0 convictions for this offence; and there was 1 conviction in 2019. Please note that prosecutions and convictions relating to the offence of the sale or distribution of counterfeit pharmaceutical products may fall under some separate summary offences other than the one mentioned above, but these cannot be separately identified.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Government Departments: Overseas Aid

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 20 May (HL4189), which Government departments applied to the Integrated Activity Fund for funding during the 2016/17 financial year; and which of those applications were granted.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: During the 2016/17 financial year the Integrated Activity Fund was administered by the Cabinet Office and this information is not held by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

USA: Non-governmental Organisations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofreports that thegovernment of the United States is considering (1) declaring a number of humanitarian organisations who have criticised the government of Israel over its policies toward Palestinians anti-Semitic, and (2) discouraging governments from supporting those organisations' work; andwhat representations they have received from any potentially affected human rights group about that issue.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to combatting the rise of anti-Semitism in all its forms, and we have a regular, frank and open dialogue with international partners on this issue. The UK also respects the rights and freedoms of human rights defenders and organisations. They must be able to operate freely, including in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Syria: Coronavirus

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have madeof the impact of the COVID-19 pandemicon the Syrian refugee camps in Idlib; and what action they are taking to prevent a humanitarian crisis amongst the inhabitantsin those camps.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Refugees and other forcibly displaced people are amongst the most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 1.2 million people in Idlib live in overcrowded camps and unable to practice social distancing or access proper healthcare or shelter.The UK has pledged at least £300 million to the Syria Crisis for 2020, to support refugees and host communities in the region as well as humanitarian needs in Syria, including specific activities to help tackle Coronavirus in North West Syria. Funding through UN and INGO partners has already provided over 375,000 IDPs daily access to 35 litres of clean water, access to safe sanitation across 38 camps and distributed over 23,000 family hygiene kits. Our funding also includes cash assistance for refugees and IDPs. The UK is monitoring the situation in Idlib and across the whole of Syria closely, working with the UN and our humanitarian partners to respond to the outbreak and to sustain life-saving services.

Hong Kong: National Security

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by the Hong Kong police toestablish a multiplatform hotline to encourage the public to report potential breaches ofnational security.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have made clear our concerns about the National Security Law, which is a clear and serious breach of the Joint Declaration. We continue to be concerned by the targeting of law-makers and activists, which is further evidence of efforts to silence opposition. We expect any arrests and judicial processes to be conducted in a fair and transparent manner. It is essential that due process is followed and that the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong are respected in full.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken in response to reports that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe will face new charges in court on 2 November; whether they have secured consular access to her; and what assessment they have made of any correlation between her summons and the postponement of the hearingon a financial dispute between theUK and Iran by six months.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is indefensible that Iran has brought new charges against Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe. We made a formal request to the Iran Government for the UK Government to attend her hearing. We have consistently called for her full and permanent release and continue to raise her case at the most senior levels. The Foreign Secretary has done so repeatedly with Foreign Minister Zarif. Senior FCDO officials summoned the Iranian Ambassador to London on 29 October to raise concerns over her treatment. The Iranian Ministry of Defence requested the adjournment of the November hearings. It would be inappropriate to comment further on ongoing legal proceedings, but we continue to explore all options to resolve this dispute.

Iraq: Foreign Relations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Prime Minister’s meeting with the Prime Minister of Iraq on 22 October, whether they have raised concerns over the competing influence of the governments of Iran and the United States in Iraq with the governments of those countries.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK remains committed to Iraq's sovereignty and ensuring that Iraq is able to govern effectively in the interests of its people. The Prime Minister underlined this support during his meeting with Prime Minister Kadhimi on 22 October. The UK regularly engages with all partners of Iraq, including Iran and the United States, in order to support stability in Iraq and the wider region.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are pursuing any new approaches to mediation in order (1) to make diplomatic progress, and (2) to end the civil war, in Yemen.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to provide diplomatic and programmatic support to the UN Special Envoy to help achieve the necessary political progress to end the conflict in Yemen. Alongside our diplomacy, we are championing and supporting the important role that women, youth and civil society can play in ending the conflict. For example, we are currently funding the Senior Gender Advisor and Senior Inclusion Advisor positions in the office of the UN Special Envoy. We will continue to support Yemeni women, youth and civil society at all levels to help create the conditions for an inclusive and durable peace in Yemen.

Syria: White Phosphorous

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan (1) to investigate, and (2) to report on, on whether white phosphorous was used as a result of considering samples of skin tissue from victims of Turkish military operations in east and north east Syria in 2019 to 2020; and if not, why not.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Her Majesty's Government strongly supports efforts to pursue accountability for the most serious crimes committed in Syria, including the UN Commission of Inquiry and the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism. These mechanisms provide a more appropriate channel to investigate and report on allegations of violations or breaches of international law in Syria.

Zimbabwe: Press Freedom

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their hosting of the Global Conference for Media Freedom in 2019, what project work they have (1) undertaken, or (2) supported, to address issues with media freedom in Zimbabwe.

Baroness Sugg: The UK is committed to the promotion of media freedom and the protection of journalists in Zimbabwe, both through direct engagement with the Zimbabwean Government, civil society and opposition, and through programmatic work. We have supported the work of the High Level Legal Panel of Experts following the London Global Conference for Media Freedom in 2019. This included the production of independent advice on meeting international norms in media legislation, which we have shared with the Zimbabwean Government and civil society organisations. The UK provides extensive financial and technical assistance to civil society organisations working to promote media freedoms and support journalists. We do not publicly name our civil society partners to protect them.

Zimbabwe: Coronavirus

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by their Ambassador to the WTO and UN in Geneva at the WTO Trade Policy Review of Zimbabwe on 30 September that "the UK has rapidly reprogrammed £21.24 million to respond to the outbreak of COVID-19" in Zimbabwe,which Departmental budget has been used to fund the reprogrammed £21.24 million; and which organisations will be the recipients of that funding.

Baroness Sugg: In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, in April of this year, before the creation of the FCDO, the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) rapidly reprogrammed £21.24 million from our bilateral aid budget to provide critical support to primary health care in Zimbabwe during COVID-19. Through UK aid funding provided to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) we ensured vital services continued such as immunisations, pre and post-natal care and treatment for malnutrition. This COVID-19 support has also provided community messaging, support for frontline workers, water sanitation and hygiene improvement in schools and health facilities, and humanitarian food and cash aid to help mitigate the impact of the crisis on the most vulnerable. We will continue to work closely with partners to track resource mobilisation and advocate for appropriate prioritisation.

Canary Islands and West Africa: Undocumented Migrants

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number of migrants arriving in the Canary Islands from West Africa, and (2) the case for agreed European policies.

Baroness Sugg: According to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, 8,102 people have arrived in the Canary Islands via sea so far this year, representing a significant increase on 2019. The dangers have been highlighted before, with an estimated 140 fatalities during an attempted crossing from Senegal to the Canary Islands on 24 October.The EU Commission published proposals for a new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum on 24 September. This will be for EU Member States to agree. We will welcome balanced and holistic European approaches that mirror the UK's commitment to a 'whole of route' approach.

Special Envoy for Gender Equality: Public Appointments

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to appoint another Special Envoy for Gender Equality; and, if so, when any suchappointmentwill be announced.

Baroness Sugg: Gender equality is a core part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's work as a force for good in the world. Promoting gender equality and advancing women and girls' rights on the international stage remains a priority for the UK Government including fulfilling every girl's right to 12 years of quality education.I was appointed by the Prime Minister as the UK Special Envoy for Girls' Education in March 2020. I am committed, in my role, to promoting every girl’s right to attend and stay in school, and to receive a quality education, I am driving the issue forward internationally, pushing for increased coordination and investment in girls education, and for greater global ambition. The UK Government continues to build on our Strategic Vision for Gender Equality alongside our National Action Plan (NAP) on Women Peace and Security.

Department for Work and Pensions

Industrial Health and Safety: Coronavirus

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many reported breaches of the COVID-secure workplace guidance have been received by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE);what proportion of those were investigated by the HSE; and what proportion of such investigations triggered formal advice to the relevant employer.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: To date, 14817 COVID-related workplace concerns have been reported to HSE. 4895 (approximately 33%) have been assigned to inspectors for investigation. The remainder have been dealt with by HSE’s Concerns and Advice Team. Of the 4895 concerns assigned to inspectors, 4284 have had a recorded outcome to date.Of these, 22 (approx. 0.5 %) required formal enforcement notices, 220 (approx. 5.1%) written correspondence indicating there was a breach of the law and confirming the action required to make the workplace safe and 1118 (approx. 26.1%) verbal advice to secure compliance with health and safety at work law. The remainder required no action. Note: The figures were extracted from HSE’s live operational database and provide the picture on the date of extraction (27th October 2020). Any new cases yet to be added to the system will not be included.

Kickstart Scheme

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) 16, and (2) 17, year olds are participating in the Kickstart Scheme.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: As of September 2020, there were 10,394 16-17 year olds claiming Universal Credit. DWP Work Coaches are starting to refer suitable young people to employers who are offering Kickstart job placements – this will include young people aged 16 and 17 at risk of long term unemployment.

NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020

Baroness Sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have had benefit claims rejected due toreceipt of payments from the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The information requested is not available.

Universal Credit

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stedman-Scotton 16 October (HL 8845), what are the Universal Credit earnings for a claimant earning £1,000 a month and paying £100 a month in relievable pension contributions into (1) a net pay arrangement pension scheme, and (2) a relief at source pension scheme.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Pension contributions are not used in the calculation of earnings. The earnings figure used in the calculation of UC entitlement is gross earnings less any occupational or personal pension contributions, tax and National Insurance contributions. From this figure any applicable work allowance and the earnings taper is applied to establish the amount of earnings to be used for a claimant in the calculation of their UC award.

Universal Credit: Young People

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) 16, and (2) 17, year olds are unemployed and claiming Universal Credit.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The latest available information, showing the number of 16 and 17 year olds who are claiming Universal Credit and are not in employment, is given in the table below. Number of 16 and 17 year olds claiming Universal Credit by Employment indicator, Great Britain, August 2020: AgeNot in employmentIn employmentTotal161,499641,560177,9098918,799 Source: People on Universal Credit, Stat-Xplore, Department for Work and Pensions Notes:Statistical disclosure control has been applied to this table to avoid the release of confidential data. Totals may not sum due to the disclosure control applied.A count date of the second Thursday of the month is used when calculating the statistics for the people on Universal Credit.The employment indicator is available from November 2013 onwards. To allow sufficient time for earnings information to be gathered on all claimants, figures for the latest month in the series will not be available until the next release.

Food Banks

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish their evidence review of the drivers of food bank use, commissioned in August 2018.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Department reallocated resources to prioritise work to helping the COVID-19 effort. As such, we will update on literature reviews in due course.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Protective Clothing: Waste Disposal

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have conducted an environmental impact assessment of the disposal of single use face masks; and if so, what was the outcome of any such assessment.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We have not carried out an assessment on the environmental impact of the disposal of single-use face masks. Face coverings required indoors are not the same as the single-use surgical masks or respirators used by healthcare and other workers as part of their PPE. These should continue to be reserved for those who need them to protect against risks in their workplace. Instead, the latest Government advice on face coverings provides instructions on how people can make and care for reusable face coverings at home using scarves or other washable textiles. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering Reusable cloth face coverings are also available to buy from a wide range of retail outlets, including online. The Government has published guidance on the disposal of face coverings and other PPE during the coronavirus pandemic. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-disposing-of-wasteHow to make a cloth face covering - GOV.UK (pdf, 604.9KB)Coronavirus (COVID-19) disposing of waste - GOV.UK (pdf, 126.0KB)

Forests: North of England

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the target date for the completion of the planting for the Northern Forest; and whether they are on target to meet that date.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: As part of the 25 Year Environment Plan, we provided a kick-start investment of £5.7 million to support the Northern Forest Partnership (NFP) of the Community Forests and the Woodland Trust. The partnership’s long-term ambition is to plant 50 million trees across the North. Our initial investment is funding at least 1.8 million new trees by 2022, and through further investment in tree planting in this parliament we will go above and beyond that. We continue to work with the NFP to identify, develop and implement delivery plans to ensure new trees are planted in the places of greatest need and that these trees are well managed and maintained for current and future generations to enjoy.

Water Companies: Standards

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publishannual league tables of the performance of water companies in tackling leakage.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Water company performance data is already published annually on the Discover Water website at www.discoverwater.co.uk, including leakage, and companies provide data to the Environment Agency on water losses. Our 2018 Water Conservation Report sets an ambitious target of 50% reduction in leakage by 2050, endorsing the industry’s existing commitment to this reduction. We will continue to hold the water industry to account on this and to support measures taken to reduce leakage.

Fishing Vessels

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many fishing vessels, registered in England, are currently in operation in theUK.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: As of 1 October 2020, Marine Management Organisation statistics show that there are 2,613 English registered and licenced fishing vessels.

Home Office

Domestic Abuse: Coronavirus

Lord Walney: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the £27million of COVID-19 related funding allocated to domestic abuse services has so far been paid out; andhow much they have allocatedfor use by such services in each(1) region, and (2) local authority.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Of the £27 million of funds which were earmarked for domestic abuse services affected by COVID-19, government departments have as of 28 October 2020 paid out £25,129,341.Within the £27 million, of the £15 million earmarked for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to distribute to local domestic abuse services through Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), the breakdown by UK region of the funds is as follows:UK regionSum distributed to PCCs in the region in question to distribute to domestic abuse services in their area/£East1,465,536East Midlands1,297,433London2,217,191North-East1,001,315North-West1,779,688South-East2,275,251South-West1,199,098Wales940,479West Midlands1,166,225Yorkshire and the Humber1,067,868 The above funds were distributed to the following PCCs:PCCSum allocated/£Avon and Somerset365,583Bedfordshire214,654Cambridgeshire209,068Cheshire222,793Cleveland354,331Cumbria152,784Derbyshire365,080Devon and Cornwall320,775Dorset170,710Durham303,238Dyfed-Powys96,416Essex462,273Gloucestershire113,933Greater Manchester645,461Gwent152,199Hampshire433,854Hertfordshire226,923Humberside116,022Kent484,381Lancashire380,264Leicestershire352,997Lincolnshire74,881Merseyside378,386MOPAC (London)2,217,191Norfolk191,926North Wales178,500North Yorkshire203,407Northamptonshire188,331Northumbria343,746Nottinghamshire316,144South Wales513,364South Yorkshire405,664Staffordshire284,632Suffolk160,692Surrey277,865Sussex474,728Thames Valley604,423Warwickshire153,308West Mercia235,586West Midlands492,699West Yorkshire342,775Wiltshire228,098 Of the £2 million earmarked for the Home Office to distribute to national and regional domestic abuse services, most of the recipients cover more than one UK region and so it is not possible to delineate the funding by region. The exceptions are one organisation which covers only the South-East, which was allocated £5,000, and three organisations which cover only Wales, which collectively were allocated £192,206.Of the £10 million earmarked for the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to distribute to safe accommodation services in England, information is not available on the UK regions to which funds were distributed. This is because the exact locations of refuge and safe accommodation services are not revealed for safety reasons, and so may not match the charity’s registered address.It is not possible to break any of the three departments’ allocations down to local authority level.

Asylum: Interviews

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they made of the benefits of consulting with civil society groups, and those who are engaged in supporting asylum seekers through interview processes, before establishing the system for the proof of concept pilot for the outsourcing of asylum interviews without such a consultation.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Asylum Operations regularly engage with civil society groups via stakeholder forums and often consult with civil society groups on asylum processes.Asylum Operations first communicated with civil society groups on the proof of concept for asylum interviews on 22 September 2020. We further engaged on the 6 October 2020 and continue to gather feedback to support the development of the proof of concept. We are in the process of responding in writing to further questions already submitted from civil society groups.The proof of concept will help establish if there is a longer-term viability. Once the proof of concept phase is complete, we will evaluate as part of ongoing engagement with civil society groups to support further development

Asylum: Interviews

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will evaluate the success of the proof of concept pilot for the outsourcing of asylum interviews.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Asylum Operations are exploring many options to reduce the number of outstanding asylum claims. Alongside seeking temporary resource from within the Home Office and other government departments, we are also exploring with third-party suppliers, through a proof of concept, to test the viability of whether they can deliver the support required as a temporary, short term measure. An eight-week controlled mobilisation of testing has been confirmed. Once we have completed the proof of concept exercise, an evaluation will be completed, and this will inform any further recommendations or actions. Asylum interviews have not been outsourced, and at this stage we are only exploring the potential feasibility. The increased interview throughput will help rebalance the system, but also speed up decision making, reduce the number of outstanding cases and support costs. Asylum Operations will be looking to source resource with the right competency and recent experience in conducting sensitive interviews. To ensure external suppliers are suitably equipped to carry out the role, third-party interviewing officers will complete a bespoke training package, delivered by the qualified asylum operations training team, that has been designed specifically to meet their needs. Anyone who conducts asylum interviews receives thorough training to ensure they are fully equipped for the role. To guarantee governance and accountability, mechanisms are in place for the oversight of third-party interviews, the department has a quality assurance process which assesses the quality of decisions, interviews and the application of Home Office policy.

Fire and Rescue Services: Staff

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 26 October (HL9091), how many of the 33 full and part-time BAME staff employed by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services are (1) Black, (2) Asian and (3) Minority Ethnic.

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 26 October (HL9090),how many of the 60 full and part-time BAME staff employed by the College of Policing are (1) Black, (2) Asian, and (3) Minority Ethnic.

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 26 October (HL9092), how many of the 168 full and part-time BAME staff employed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct are (1) Black, (2) Asian and (3) Minority Ethnic.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Of the 33 full-time and part-time BAME members of staff the Home Office employed to work at HMICFRS as at 31 March 2020, 5 were Black, 21 were Asian and 7 were from a mixed / other minority ethnic background.Of the 168 full-time and part-time BAME staff employed by the IOPC as at 31 March 2020, 51 were Black, 85 were Asian and 32 were from a mixed / other minority ethnic background.The 60 BAME staff referenced in the answer to your original parliamentary question covered the number of full-time BAME staff at the College of Policing. Including part-time BAME staff members increases that number to 78. Of those 78 BAME staff employed by the College of Policing as at 31 March 2020, 12 were Black, 36 were Asian, 30 were from a mixed / other minority ethnic background.These figures will not include BAME staff who have not declared their ethnicity or those who have selected the ‘prefer not to say’ option.

Police and Crime Commissioners: Reviews

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many written submissions they have received in connection with the first part of their internal review of Police and Crime Commissioners; and what plans they have to publish those submissions.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We received 102 written submissions in respect of part one of the Review, from organisations, bodies and individuals in the policing, fire and local government sectors. This was an internal Review and, as such, there are no plans to publish these written submissions.

Asylum

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 21 October (HL Deb, col 1598), when the review into "safe and legal routes to the UK for asylum seekers, refugees and their families" will be completed; and whether that review will be published.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Safe and legal routes are a core part of our proposed reforms to the asylum system to ensure it is both firm and fair. As made clear in the answer on 21 October (HL Deb, col 1598), as an integral part of that work the Government will conduct a review of safe and legal routes to the UK for asylum seekers, refugees and their families, which will include reviewing routes for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children to reunite with their family members in the UK.This government intends to bring forward legislation next year that will deliver some of our much-needed reforms.

Drugs: Misuse

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions theyhave had with (1) the devolved administrations, and (2) the government of the Republic of Ireland, about legal high psychoactive substances.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (“the 2016 Act”) made it an offence (with limited exceptions) to supply, possess with intent to supply, produce, import or export psychoactive substances. Substances that were previously referred to informally as “legal highs” have been subject to these provisions since the 2016 Act came into force, provided they satisfy the definition of a psychoactive substance and are not exempt under the 2016 Act.The Home Office regularly engages with the government of the Republic of Ireland on a wide range of topics and we continue to engage with Devolved Administrations on drugs policy. In February this year, the Crime and Policing Minister, Kit Malthouse, held a UK Drugs Summit, bringing together experts and Ministers from all four nations of the United Kingdom. A follow up UK Drugs Ministerial took place in September, continuing the conversation on drug misuse with Ministers and eminent experts from across the UK

Asylum: Interviews

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the proof of concept pilot for the outsourcing of asylum interviews, whether the claimants will be informed that they are being interviewed by a third party rather than a Home Office employee; and if not, whether this information will be available upon request.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office is not planning to disclose to a claimant if they have been interviewed by a third party rather than a Home Office employee. We do not ask staff to disclosure their employee status prior to interview.Third party interviewing officers will complete a bespoke training package, delivered by the qualified asylum operations training team, that has been designed specifically to meet their needs. The course will include training specifically about modern slavery and safeguarding awareness. Anyone who conducts asylum interviews receives thorough training to ensure they are fully equipped for the role. We expect the experience to equal the existing high standards already in place.To guarantee governance and accountability, mechanisms are in place for the oversight of third-party interviews and the department has a quality assurance process which assesses the quality of decisions, interviews and the application of Home Office policy.

Interpol

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to Interpol forreforms that would prevent member states misusingInterpol procedures for political purposes.

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to Interpol to seek sanctions for member states that misuse Interpol procedures for political purposes.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government views any allegation of misuse of Interpol’s systems very seriously and continues to work closely with Interpol to ensure the integrity of its systems. In November 2019, a senior UK lawyer was seconded to Interpol to support the work of its Notices and Diffusions Taskforce, a multidisciplinary unit which ensures legal compliance and prevents abuse of Interpol systems.We continue to monitor the effectiveness of existing safeguards and will not hesitate to recommend further reforms to Interpol as necessary.Interpol also has an independent review body, the Commission for the Control of Files (CFF), which seeks to ensure that the processing of personal information by Interpol is in compliance with Interpol’s regulations.

Immigrants: Hong Kong

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposalfor a new charter city in the north of England for persons with Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) status arriving in the UK; and if they have not made such an assessment, what plans they have to do so.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There are currently no plans with regards to a new charter city in North of England for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) citizens arriving in the UK.We are working across Government to ensure appropriate plans are in place for when the route opens.

British Nationality

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether British Nationals (Overseas) can include any years they have spent residing in the UK under a Tier 4 or Tier 5 visa towards the residency criteria in an application for indefinite leave to remain under the new pathway to citizenship.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Under the new Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) Visa route, individuals will be able to apply for settlement, also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain, after five years in the UK, subject to meeting the necessary requirements. Time previously spent in the UK on another route to settlement will count towards the five years.

Domestic Abuse: Victim Support Schemes

Lord Walney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the implementation of theircodeword scheme for domestic abuse victims, announced on 21 May; and what assessment they have made of the success of that scheme so far.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have been working closely with the domestic abuse sector, pharmacies, retailers and the police to develop a codeword scheme that will enable victims of domestic abuse to access emergency support in their community. To ensure that the scheme provides a safe and effective response to victims, we have worked with domestic abuse specialist organisations to develop training and guidance for retail staff delivering the scheme and are preparing to roll out these materials prior to public launch. An external evaluation will be carried out to assess of the effectiveness of the scheme.

Domestic Abuse: Victim Support Schemes

Lord Walney: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they estimate the total spend on the #YouAreNotAlone domestic abuse campaign to be; and which media channels they intend to use to disseminatethat campaign.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The #YouAreNotAlone campaign signposts victims of domestic abuse to support over the lockdown period with paid media running from mid-April until end of September and via key partners including charities, retailers, employers, banks and post offices. The Home Office has, so far, committed over £850k to cover COVID-19 related communications on domestic abuse up until the end of September 2020. Online channels, including social media, search advertising and digital display, have played an important role in reaching victims discreetly, to increase confidence that support is available and raise awareness of where and how to get help. Podcast advertising and PR have supplemented the digital activity with community engagement outreach reaching diverse communities who may be less likely to seek support for domestic abuse. The Home Office has also worked with partners and the sector to help disseminate messages via their channels. Since campaign launch (Apr-Aug), traffic to the gov.uk domestic abuse page has increased by over three times compared to the same period the previous year, which demonstrates that communications are required to continue to help signpost and direct victims and those concerned to help and support.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Allotments: Coronavirus

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the demand for allotments since the start of theCOVID-19pandemic; and what assistance they intend to provide to local authorities, including parish councils, to increase the provision of allotments.

Lord Greenhalgh: Local authorities are responsible for allotments in their area. It is for them to consider issues around local demand and supply. To support immediate and on-going pressures during the pandemic, the government has provided £4.6 billion of un-ringfenced funding to principal councils. We will continue to support local government in managing the pandemic and will keep financial support under review.

Housing: Construction

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Greenhalgh on 1 October (HL8296), 6 October (HL8828), and 28 October (HL9442), what assessment they have made of whether diversification will be sufficient to tackle developments which are currently stalled due to ‘land banking’ and ‘intentional delay’.

Lord Greenhalgh: Sir Oliver Letwin’s 2018 Review of Build Out provided a comprehensive assessment of build out of sites and recommended that a greater diversity of housing products on residential developments was a key way to overcome issues associated with low market absorption rates. Our Planning White Paper consulted on proposals to amend national policy to encourage more variety of development types by different builders, and we are now in the process of analysing the responses. We will be publishing our response in due course

Treasury

Customs Officers: Northern Ireland

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of training HM Revenue and Customs officers in Northern Ireland in the use of vehicle stop and search powers since January 2019.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Since January 2019, HM Revenue & Customs have spent £1,440 in training officers in Northern Ireland in the use of vehicle stop and search powers.

Self-employed: Coronavirus

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support creative freelancers who do not qualify for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Those not eligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) may still be eligible for other elements of the unprecedented package of financial support available. This package includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants. The Government has also extended the temporary reduced VAT rate for hospitality and tourism to 31 March 2021. This will continue to apply to admission to attractions across the UK, including concerts, theatres, exhibitions and similar events. Furthermore, the Government has announced a £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund to protect the cultural sector through the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, £409 million in grant funding has been awarded to over 2,000 cultural organisations in England including orchestras, music venues, galleries, theatres, museums and festivals. This funding will help to enable performances to restart, protect jobs and create opportunities for freelancers.

Protective Clothing: VAT

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they estimate wll be raised through the imposition of value added tax on face masks and personal protective equipment.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: On 1 May the Government introduced a temporary VAT zero rate on personal protective equipment (PPE) that meets the standard set out in guidance from Public Health England in order to ensure that affected sectors (such as hospitals and care homes) were able to have access to PPE as required. The Government has put in place new measures that will ensure the supply of PPE to these sectors from 1 November. The zero rate therefore ended on 31 October (as legislated), and the costing of this measure will be subject to scrutiny by the Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the next fiscal event. An estimate of the revenue raised from VAT on other types of face masks or PPE that have never been subject to the zero rate is not available. HMRC do not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level in their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden. In July, the Government announced in the Plan for Jobs additional expenditure of over £15 billion for PPE procurement.

Gambling: VAT

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much value-added tax was collected from adult gaming centres in England and Wales in (1) 2019, and (2) 2020 to date.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: HM Revenue and Customs do not hold data on VAT collected specifically from adult gaming centres. HMRC record and publish annually details of VAT receipts and liabilities across trade sectors and subsectors, but not at this level of detail. The provision of facilities for betting and gaming is usually exempt from VAT.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofNatWest’s announcement of a 48-hour gambling block for debit cards to reduce gambling-related harm; and what action they are takingto encourage other companies in the banking sector to adopt similar policies.

Baroness Barran: The government recognises the important role banks can play in helping their customers monitor and manage their gambling spend. Last year the then Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport convened a roundtable of banks and other stakeholders in the financial sector to encourage them to do more in this regard and ministers have since corresponded with industry leaders on this issue. I am pleased that many banks have acted to offer their customers the option to block gambling transactions from their accounts and welcome NatWest’s introduction of a 48 hour gambling block.Research published by the University of Bristol in July this year estimated that debit card gambling blocks are available for roughly 63% of UK current accounts but we encourage those banks that have not yet developed these kinds of services to do so. We also encourage banks to follow best practice in the design of their blocks, for instance including a sufficient 'cooling off' period.

Events Industry: Insurance and Non-domestic Rates

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to introduce (1) new business rate relief, and (2) an indemnity insurance scheme, for the events industry.

Baroness Barran: We are aware that the events and exhibition industry, as well as other sectors, have been severely impacted by Government measures to control the spread of Covid-19.My Department regularly engages with events stakeholders to assess the issues being faced and to develop means of offering support, including on the issue of insurance provision. The Government is also in continual dialogue with the insurance sector on its response to COVID-19.We encourage events businesses and suppliers, including those ineligible for schemes related to business rates relief, to explore the Government’s full support package.Events businesses can access support such as the various government-backed loans, as well as the extended furlough and self-employed support schemes. We are also giving £1.1bn of discretionary funding to Local Authorities to help businesses through the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG).We are continuing to engage with stakeholders, including through the Tourism Industry Council and the Events Industry Senior Leaders Advisory Panel, to monitor the situation facing the events industry.

Music: Coronavirus

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to update their COVID-19 guidelines to include professional musicians within the list of jobs qualifying for travel exemptions.

Baroness Barran: At present there are no such exemptions available for musicians coming to the UK.We continue to work with the cultural and creative sectors to explore all options to support them through this challenging period, including on proposals for exemptions from quarantine. We are continuing to work with the Department for Transport on proposals for an exemption for Performing Arts professionals.All decisions about exemptions and other measures will need to be considered in light of the wider public health context and the bar for exemptions remains very high.

Infrastructure: Technology

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the use of Pyronix-Hikvision technology in UK infrastructure in the light of reports of the alleged use of that company’s technology in Uighur detention facilities.

Baroness Barran: We are aware of reports that Hikvision's technology has been used in Xinjiang. The UK has repeatedly taken a leading international role in holding China to account for the situation in Xinjiang, including by leading statements at the UN Human Rights Council in June and the UN Third Committee in October. We are actively considering the implications for the UK and continue to encourage human rights to be at the centre of all business that takes place in this country.

Performing Arts: Coronavirus

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport CommitteeImpact of COVID-19 on DCMS sectors: First Report (HC 291), published on 20 July, what plans they have, if any, to establish a Creators Council to engage with representatives of the creative workforce.

Baroness Barran: Industry and Government engage regularly with a wide range of leading experts in the creative industries through the Creative Industries Council (CIC), a forum for Government and Industry to convene and share information, discuss concerns and opportunities and muster action. The CIC is formed of a broad range of representative bodies across the sub-sectors of the creative industries.As outlined in our response to the above named report, we would need clear and robust evidence from the sector as to the purpose of the Creator’s Council and why it would be different from the existing CIC.